Washing-machine.



F. HBRLE.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5, 1913.

1,099,702. Patented June 9, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

@WMM

P.HBRLE.`

WASHING MAGHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED DEU. 5 1913.

1,099,702, Patented-June 9,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

FRANK HERLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

Wasi-iins-iaacnrnn.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented lune 9, i914.

Application filed December 5, 1913. Serial No. 804,853.

`loe operated by hand, or as a larger power driven machine, for use in commercial laundriesn The primary object ot my present invention is to provide an improved mounting for the drinn in which the clothes are contained so that this drinn can be rotated alternately in opposite directions with the expenditure of a minimum amount of energy or power.

Another object is to so construct the niachine that the drum can be readily detached or disconnected from its driving;- and supporting shafts and be removed from the tank :lor the purpose of cleaning, repairing or the like.

Other objects and advantages oi this invention will ho apparent the same is more fully understood from the tollowii'ngy description when considered in connection with the accompanying;r drawings.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a wishingA machine embodying' my invention; Fig. a horizontal sectional view taken on the line Q2 ot' Fig. l; Fig. 'l is a fragmentary sectional view through the drum; Fig. Lit is an enlarged (letail view of one ot' the castings fixed to one end of the drum; Fig. 5 is an lenlarged partial sectional view taken on the line QM?) ot Fig. l; Fig'. ti is :i side elevation ot a power' driven machine embodying my invention, and ltig. is a partial plan view ofthe inachine shown in Fig. (i.

Referring; to the drawings, reference character 'i' designates` the 'trame ot the machine. which is preferably ot east metal construe-- lion, shaped to support a tank, or tub, 8, preferably formed ot sheet metal.` the frame being formed to provide angle llanges t) with which the tank slidably engaged so that the tank may be removed bodily from the traine if desired. @n the outer tare ot each end oi the Ytraine l have mounted a pair of rotatable supporting rollers lll grooved on their peripheries, as indicatedgy reference character 12, to retiive antksupport large wheels 13, the perimeter-s of which are shaped, as shown in Fig. 2,4 to travel in the grooves the rollersl ll. A stub-shaft ll is lixed in the hub ot each wheel 13 so that these slial'ts extend laterally into the tank S through suitable openings in the end walls of the tank.

The clothes to be washed are carried in a rotatable cylindrical drum, designated generally by reference character l5,- disposed within the tank. This drum comprises Wooden ends and longitudinally extending wooden stares 't6 providedy with suitable 'holes 17 through which water may pass as the drum is revolved within the tank. A casting' 18 in the shape oi a cross providing four ii'itersecting channels is rigidly secured by rivets lt), or otherwise, to radially extending arms 2l which lie against the outer faces ofthe drinn ends and extend substantially to the outer periphery ol' the drum. The corresponding arms 2l at opposite ends of the. drum are connected together by rods 22 equipped with suitable nuts 23 which are utilised to draw the arms toward each other to i'irnily embrace the drum and clamp the same between the arms so that the castings 18 are securely and permanently attached to the drum concentrieally therewith.

F or the purpose of carrying;i the clothes upwardly out of the Wa ter in the drum when the drum is revolved l have provided a series olf longitudinally extending' ribs 24 projecting' inwardly from the periphery of the diuni, these ribs being; interposed between stares of the drum at suitable inter'- `vals. and those ribs between the ends of arms 21 being grooved as indicated by 25 to receive the i'odsQQ. One pair of arms Q1 consists olf a single bar etcndinfr entirely across the castingr 18 and provided with a centrally disposed elongated opening' 2G, and cach shaft 1i is tiattciied at` opposite sides, as shown yin Fiend, to lit these openings so that the drinn and shafts are Aheld against rotation relatively to each other. The inner end of each shaft is threaded to receive a nut or cap QT which is screwed on to the end ol the. shaft through a central opening provided in the end oit the drum. When the cada or caps 27 are screwed tightly on to the ends of the shafts the shafts aresecurely and non-rotatably attached to the drum and the drum is thereby supported from the wheels 13 outside the tank. Suitable Washers or rings 28, preferably of leather, are disposed on each side of the openings in the end Walls l of the tank through Which the shafts 14 pass for the purpose of preventing Water from splashing out around the shafts. It`

' shafts 14 can be Withdrawn from engagement with the drum and the drum can be lifted out of the tank. The drum is provided on, its circumference With one or more doors 29 through Which the clothes may be inserted and removed and the top of the tank is normally covered by a cover 31' hinged on the frame at 3Q.

Upon one of the shafts 14 outside of its supporting Wheel 13 I have mounted a gear Wheel 33 Which meshes with and is drivenI by a gear Wheel 34 supported upon a shaft 35 carried by the main frame, the gear Wheel 34 being tixedly connected with a large ily Wheel 36 equipped with a .handle 37 by means of which the wheel may be rotated in first one direction and then the other. In order to prevent the wheel 13 at the drive end of the machine from accidentally jumping out of the grooves 12 upon reversal of the drum l prefer to employ a guide roller 38 mounted upon a suitable bracket 3i) to engage with the wheel 13 at or near its top.

It will be understood that the Weight of the drum and the clothes therein is carried by the large wheel 13 supported upon the rollers l1 so that the friction incident to the rotation of the drum is reduced to a minimum, with the result that the machine is extremely easy to operate. lVhile l am aware that Washing machines comprising rotatable or oscillatory drums are broadly old, nevertheless, l believe that I am the first to produce a machine of this character in which the weight of the drum is so carried that the friction is reduced sutiiciently to render the operation of the machine by hand possible.

In Figs. 5 and G l have disclosed a power operated machine and have shown mechanism by means of which the drum may be rotated in first one direction and then the other from a continuously operating` motor. The motor which is indicated in these ligures by reference character 41 drives a counter shaft 4'2 by means of a belt 43 con,- necting vthe pulley 44 on the shaft 49 with the driving pul cy of the motor. The spuit :rear f1.7 tired on the shaft 432 n'ieshes 'with 'and drives a large gear 46 mounted on a suitable bracket 47 of the main frame, and a second spur gear 48, adapted to be connected to the gear 46, meshes with and drives a large gear 49 rotatably mounted at 51 on a bracket 52. A segmental rack 53, pivoted at 54, is connected with the gear wheel 49 by means of a link 55 so that as the Wheel 49 is rotated the rack is escillated up and down about its pivot. A gear lixed on one of the shafts 14 outside its supn porting Wheel 13 meshes `with. the'rack 53 and as the rack is oseillated tirst in one direction and then the other, as previously described, the gear 5e and the drum inside the tank are ,rotated in first one direction and then the reverse direction.

lt Will/be manifest that. by means of the driving mechanism described the high speed of the motor is reduced and transmitted to the drum so that the drum is rotated alternat'ely in opposite directions Without jar orshock by reason of the fact. that the reversal takes place as the link connection with the gear 49 passes dead center, so that the speed of the drum gradually increases vfrom a dead center point to a maximum and then gradually decreases again; and that by reason of the reduction in speed and because of the manner of supporting,l the drum the machine can be operated by a very small motor. The motor may also be utilized to operate the Wringer 57, if desiredand to this end l have equipped the wringer shaft with a sprocketvheel 58 disposed in alinement with a drive sprocket 59 loosely mounted on the shaft d1 which carries the gear Wheels 4G and 43. Ythe gear wheel 46 is fixed on this Shaft and gear wheel 48 is loose thereon. A 'clutch member 62, feathered on the shaft, is adapted to be engaged at Will with the clutch member G3 on the gear Wheel 48 or with the clutch member' 64 on the sprocket wheel 59. d chain 65 connects the sprocket Wheels 59 and 5S. Any suitable shifting' lever may be employed for shifting the clutch member G2 so that the motor can be utilized to operate either the washing machine or the wringer at will.

It is believed that my invention and its mode of operation will be clearly under* stood from the foregoing without further description and it will be obvious that the mechanical details disclosed are capable of considerable 'variation and modification within the scope of the following claim,

l claim:

In a Washing machine, the combination of a tank having centrally disposed apertures in its ends, a cylindrical drum mounted within said tank, a stub shaft smaller than the apertures in the tank secured to each end of said drum and extending outwardly axially .hereof through an aperture in said 'if tank, a large Wheel ixed on the end of each and means for preventing water in the tank stub shaftl extending beyond said tank, from passing about said stub shaft through means engaging the perpheiies of said said apertures.

Wheels for rotatably supporting said drum FRANK HERLE. in central position Within 'the tank, means Witnesses: engaging one of said Wheels for imparting IRA J. WILSON,

rotation to said Wheels and to said dauin, M. A. KIDDIE. 

